Wheel-guiding forward axle air spring strut

• US 7,011,301 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2004
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental AG
• Original Assignee: Continental AG
• Inventors: Oldenettel, Holger
• Primary Examiner(s): Burch, Melody M.
• Application Number:
  US10/841,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20040222576A1
• Time in Patent Office: 673 Days
• Field of Search: 267/64.11, 267/64.19, 267/64.21, 267/64.23, 267/64.24, 267/64.27, 267/64.26, 267/220, 188/322.12, 188/322.16, 280/124.155
• US Class Current: 267/64.23
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 15/14 the damper being connected to the stub axle and the spring being arranged around the damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2202/314 The spring being a pneumatic spring
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/126 Mounting of pneumatic springs
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/1262 on a damper
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2204/128 Damper mount on vehicle body or chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B60G 2206/424 Plunger or top retainer construction for bellows or rolling lobe type air springs
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/0427 toroidal
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/0472 characterised by comprising a damping device with plastic deformation of members F16F7/12; delay devices or arrangements F15B21/10
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/084 comprising a gas spring contained within a flexible wall, the wall not being in contact with the damping fluid, i.e. mounted externally on the damper cylinder
• CPC Class Codes: F16F 9/361 Sealings of the bellows-type

Abstract

A wheel-guiding forward axle spring strut includes a spring and a shock absorber (6) integrated axially therein. The spring includes two end members (8, 10) and a spring element is disposed between these end members. The shock absorber (6) includes a shock absorber cylinder (20) and a shock absorber rod (18) connected to the chassis (24) via a non-rotatable shock absorber bearing (22) The end member (8) is connected by a rotational bearing (28) to the chassis. The lower spring end member (10) is fixedly connected to the shock absorber cylinder (20) and thereby in common to the forward axle. The upper spring end member is an air spring cover and the lower spring end member is an air spring piston (10) and an air spring flexible member (12) is mounted between the cover (8) and the piston (10) so as to be pressure-tight and tension-tight. The bearing (28) and a seal (30) are arranged between the air spring cover (8) and the non-rotatable component The bearing (28) and the seal (30) can be loaded in rotation in correspondence to a wheel moved to steer a vehicle.

Claims

1. A forward axle air spring strut for guiding a wheel in a motor vehicle having a chassis, the air spring strut comprising:

an air spring including;

an air spring cover defining a longitudinal axis;

an air spring piston; and

, an air spring flexible member connected pressure-tight and tension-tight between said air spring cover and said air spring piston;

a shock absorber integrated axially into said air spring;

said shock absorber including;

a shock absorber cylinder; and

, a shock absorber rod axially displaceable and rotatable in said shock absorber cylinder;

a non-rotatable elastic support connected to said chassis and said shock absorber rod being articulately connected to said chassis via said non-rotatable elastic support;

said non-rotatable elastic support and said air spring cover conjointly defining an interface;

a rotational bearing for connecting said air spring to said chassis separately from said shock absorber;

said rotational bearing being mounted at said interface so as to permit said air spring to rotate about said longitudinal axis relative to said non-rotatable support and said shock absorber;

a seal also mounted at said interface;

said rotational bearing and said seal being mounted so that said bearing and said seal can be subjected to torsion when the wheel is turned for steering said motor vehicle;

said cover, said piston and said air spring flexible member conjointly defining a pressure space;

said seal being mounted above said rotational bearing; and

,

said rotational bearing being mounted in said pressure space of said air spring.

2. The air spring strut of claim 1, wherein said seal is configured as an annular element having a circular cross section.

3. The air spring strut of claim 1, wherein said seal is configured as a shaft seal.

4. The air spring strut of claim 1, wherein said rotational bearing is a plastic slide bearing.

5. The air spring strut of claim 4, wherein said seal is integrated into said slide bearing.

6. A forward axle air spring strut for guiding a wheel in a motor vehicle having a chassis, the air spring strut comprising:

an air spring including;

an air spring cover defining a longitudinal axis;

an air spring piston; and

, an air spring flexible member connected pressure-tight and tension-tight between said air spring cover and said air spring piston;

a shock absorber integrated axially into said air spring;

said shock absorber including;

a shock absorber cylinder; and

, a shock absorber rod axially displaceable and rotatable in said shock absorber cylinder;

a housing fixedly connected to said chassis;

an elastic support non-rotatably seated in said housing so as to be non-rotatable with respect to said housing and said chassis;

said shock absorber rod being articulately connected to said chassis via said non-rotatable support and said housing;

said housing and said air spring cover conjointly defining an interface;

a rotational bearing for connecting said air spring to said chassis separately from said shock absorber via said housing;

said rotational bearing being mounted at said interface so as to permit said air spring to rotate about said longitudinal axis relative to said non-rotatable support and said shock absorber;

a seal also mounted at said interface;

said rotational bearing and said seal being mounted so that said bearing and said seal can be subjected to torsion when the wheel is turned for steering said motor vehicle;

said cover, said piston and said air spring flexible member conjointly defining a pressure space;

said seal being mounted above said rotational bearing; and

,

said rotational bearing being mounted in said pressure space of said air spring.

7. The air spring strut of claim 6, wherein said seal is configured as an annular element having a circular cross section.

8. The air spring strut of claim 6, wherein said seal is configured as a shaft seal.

9. The air spring strut of claim 6, wherein said rotational bearing is a plastic slide bearing.

10. The air spring strut of claim 9, wherein said seal is integrated into said slide bearing.